Justice
(Click here for an audio version. The intro and conclusion are from 'Godpleaser' by Petra.)
Much has been said in recent years about ‘social justice’.
But what is
justice? Who gets to define it?
May I suggest that
the Only Source of true justice - and the One without whom we would have no
concept of it – has something to say to us on the matter.
Justice Defined
In the Bible the
words ‘justice’ and ‘righteousness’ are used hundreds of times. The words are often used interchangeably, as
the concepts of justice and righteousness are indelibly intertwined:
·
It is
a legal judgment of what is defined as right; a righteous standard. It is defined by God as a standard by which a
person is acceptable to Him. It is a consistent
standard applied to all people without discrimination.
The testimony of
the Scriptures is that man in his fallen state is prone to distort justice,
even in the smallest thoughts, words, and actions.
Consider how the
Almighty describes Himself:
"Then
the LORD passed by in front of him and proclaimed, "The LORD, the LORD
God, compassionate and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in lovingkindness
and truth; who keeps lovingkindness for thousands, who forgives iniquity,
transgression and sin; yet He will by no means leave the guilty unpunished,
visiting the iniquity of fathers on the children and on the grandchildren to
the third and fourth generations."" (Exodus 34:6-7, to Moses)
Who can meet this
standard? Who is without guilt?
No one (see Romans
3:9-20). This is why God offers the
Gospel of Jesus Christ to all:
"For
I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to
everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek. For in it the
righteousness of God is revealed from faith to faith; as it is written,
"BUT THE RIGHTEOUS man SHALL LIVE BY FAITH."" (Romans 1:16-17)
Note that the word
‘righteousness’ here is justice, and is used interchangeably here.
The only way for
any one of us to meet God’s standard of justice is through faith in the only
One who met that standard and paid our debt: the God-Man Jesus Christ, full of
grace and truth (John 1:14).
God is
Infinitely More Committed to Justice than Anyone
"Thus
says the LORD, "Let not a wise man boast of his wisdom, and let not the
mighty man boast of his might, let not a rich man boast of his riches; but let
him who boasts boast of this, that he understands and knows Me, that I am
the LORD who exercises lovingkindness, justice and righteousness on earth;
for I delight in these things," declares the LORD." (Jeremiah 9:23-24)
Justice comes out
of the very character of God.
He loves justice
more than you or I do.
"He
loves righteousness and justice;
The
earth is full of the lovingkindness of the LORD."
(Psalm 33:5)
He hates injustice
more than you or I do.
"God
is a righteous judge,
And
a God who has indignation every day."
(Psalms 7:11)
God’s Justice
Requires That He Be Merciful
Again:
"He
loves righteousness and justice;
The
earth is full of the lovingkindness of the LORD."
(Psalm 33:5)
"The
LORD is gracious and merciful;
Slow
to anger and great in lovingkindness.
The
LORD is good to all,
And
His mercies are over all His works."
(Psalm 145:8-9)
Because God is
just, His mercy is essential for our survival.
Because God is just, His grace is essential for our eternal destiny. Mercy is not getting what we do deserve,
namely, eternal punishment. Grace is
getting what we don’t deserve, namely, eternal life.
Without God’s
mercy, we are not even able to exist to have a conversation about justice.
Only God Can
Give True Justice
"Many
seek the ruler's favor,
But
justice for man comes from the LORD."
(Proverbs 29:26)
The testimony of
the Scriptures is that we are prone to injustice through partiality (e.g. 2
Chronicles 19:7, Proverbs 20:10, James 2:9), our natural corruption (e.g. Proverbs
28:21, Romans 3:10), and our unwillingness to stand against peer pressure (e.g. Exodus
23:1-3, John 12:43, Galatians 1:10).
So while looking
to earthly authorities is right and appropriate, our expectations must be
measured. Ultimate justice is often not
realized in this life, but each of us will have to give an account of ourselves
to God (Romans 14:11-12). Ultimately, no
one gets away with anything.
God’s Justice
Requires That We Do Something
"He
has told you, O man, what is good;
And
what does the LORD require of you
But
to do justice, to love kindness,
And
to walk humbly with your God?"
(Micah 6:8)
It is impossible
to do justice without walking with the One who is its Source. The first thing we must do is to repent and
believe in Jesus. Justice must land
within our hearts before we can truly dispense it to others.
Opportunities for
justice abound daily, in countless ways, from kindness to the less fortunate to
writing your elected officials. But it
is almost always unseen and bathed in prayer (1 Timothy 2:1-3). It does not occur on ‘social’ media, but in
the people you and I interact with every day.
We do it not for human accolades, but for the applause of heaven (Matthew
6:1-4)
Let’s have our
actions exceed our words in this regard, shall we? Look for those who are not just talking, but
doing. (For a great example of this and
contrast, see the article, ‘I
Went to the Border to Help People.
Members of Congress Were Shocked When I Asked Them to Help Too.’)
You Can’t Do
Justice Without Jesus
"Jesus
answered and said to them, "Go and report to John what you hear and see:
the BLIND RECEIVE SIGHT and the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed and the deaf
hear, the dead are raised up, and the POOR HAVE THE GOSPEL PREACHED TO THEM.
"And blessed is he who does not take offense at Me."" (Matthew 11:4-6)
"For
I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to
everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek. For in it the
righteousness of God is revealed from faith to faith; as it is written,
"BUT THE RIGHTEOUS man SHALL LIVE BY FAITH."" (Romans 1:16-17)
What a tragedy it
would be for us to help the physical and ignore the eternal. Both are important, but only one is ultimate.
What a tragedy it would
be to think we could understand or do justice without Jesus
Justice is a
Cause of Worship
"I
will sing of lovingkindness and justice,
To
You, O LORD, I will sing praises."
(Psalm 101:1)
"Righteousness
and justice are the foundation of Your throne;
Lovingkindness
and truth go before You.
How
blessed are the people who know the joyful sound!
O
LORD, they walk in the light of Your countenance.
In
Your name they rejoice all the day,
And
by Your righteousness they are exalted."
(Psalms 89:14-16)
Let us never lose
the point of God’s justice, and that is to worship and magnify Him.
In His Grip,
Mark D. Twombly
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